Choosing the right real estate agent, particularly on the seller's side is a very important but difficult decision. Even a basic online search brings up several dozen. And of course, everyone claims to be the best! Bad advice could result in losing tens of thousands with the home just sitting for months.
After researching several agents and then meeting a few, I decided to take the 'leap of faith' with Bruce & Tanya Associates. Although their website is less flashy than others, they offer a team-based approach along with old-school marketing/networking that provides a major community presence. For years I'd notice their directional signage throughout all the neighborhoods, newsletter and postcard mailings, etc.
Based on the size of house and certain other variables, I was told that Chris Walters is their 'master negotiator' and he was assigned the listing. During our initial meeting this past Nov., he asked all the right questions and did a excellent job answering mine. Surprisingly, he even recommended capitalizing on the hot market/low inventory, putting the house up for sale in Feb., two months sooner than I had originally planned.
Some of their statistics seemed almost too good, including the statement that 95% of all properly-staged listings receive at least one full-price offer within the first wk. And Chris himself seemed confident that mine would sell within three wks. Could this all be empty marketing hyperbole? That thought definitely crossed my mind. But based on the company's stellar reputation/connections I decided to put my trust in them and Chris, while hoping for the best.
Almost immediately, I experienced their team-based approach in meeting with Bernadette, the professional stager. Most other real estate brokers charge additional fees for that service, but Bruce & Tanya Associates offers it free of charge. Carefully evaluating each room, she provided some very helpful advice. They also use one of the premier real estate photographers in DC/NVA for all their marketing materials, and the quality of work simply speaks for itself. Chris even makes it a point to have brochures for his clients printed on high-gloss cover stock, once again picking up the additional cost involved.
If it snows in Feb., Chris will send out a team to plow the driveway/walkway, all complimentary! Based on his many years of experience, Chris provided VERY sound advice and a steady hand throughout the entire process with exceptional attention to detail and instant access via text, email and phone. Any time a question needed to be resolved he was there, and rarely did I ever need to wait, which was always appreciated!!!
Although I initially resisted his recommendation to replace twenty-one windows and to re-carpet all three levels, it eventually proved to be time and money well-spent. So after an intense three months of preparation, the house was finally listed. While the asking price seemed a tad lower than the various online estimates, he provided sound reasoning/analysis to back-up his numbers.
So here it was in mid.-Feb., not exactly "house buying season" on a Tues., and I was expecting maybe a few showings that first wknd. But shockingly we had three requests on the very first day!!! Three more followed on Wed. Zillow search stats were blowing up, and they designated the listing 'VERY HOT' which is rarely seen on that site!
Through Sat. we had over a dozen showings!!! Chris was there for the open house on Sun. And thanks to Bruce & Tanya Associates' promotional efforts, neighbors reported that the turn-out was 'legendary' with over forty cars parked in the cul-de-sac during those two hrs.
As usual, Chris was totally 'on point' by creating a multiple-offer situation, again in mid.-winter! When placing the initial listing, he accelerated interest by requesting all best offers before close of business on Day 7. We just needed two or three at full-price, and that's exactly what we received: two at full price and one even higher!!!
But we had all three within five days and a ratified contract in just one wk. Once again, Chris did an excellent job in clearly laying out all the options, making the decision very easy. Not to mention, his past dealings with the seller's agent and their strong working relationship, helped smooth out the process all the way to closing. Inspection items were minimal and quickly resolved thanks to Bruce & Tanya Associates' solid network of professional contractors.
In short, Chris Walters is truly a 'class act' offering the absolute best in customer service, along with connections, competence and confidence that simply gets results! read more
